The Government of Spain changes the rules and begins to apply, starting this weekend in Galicia, the ban on the sale of energy drinks to minors under 16 years of age. The new regulation promoted by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 prohibits the sale of these types of drinks to minors under 16 years of age and requires, among other things, to treat these products in a similar way to others such as alcohol or tobacco in establishments or supermarkets.
What does the latter mean? Well, among the measures that are on the table to change the management of energy drinks in sales establishments is modifying the way in which these products are displayed in stores. Energy drinks must be placed in differentiated spaces within supermarkets and food stores, preventing them from being placed next to conventional soft drinks. This is what he himself has clarified Ministry of Consumer Affairs through its official portal.
The objective is to strengthen control over minors’ access to these types of drinks and increase awareness of their possible effects on health. According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, there is a broad social consensus on the need to limit its consumption at an early age, since its caffeine and other stimulant content can cause sleep disturbances, cardiovascular problems or changes in behavior.
Ban on selling energy drinks to minors under 16 years of age
The regulations promoted by Minister Pablo Bustinduy prohibit the sale of energy drinks to minors under 16 years of age and extend this limitation to minors under 18 when it comes to products with more than 32 milligrams of caffeine per 100 milliliters.
With this measure, the Government seeks to equalize the treatment of these drinks with other substances considered potentially harmful to the health of minors. Furthermore, the aim is to reduce their habitual consumption among young people, since different studies indicate that a relevant part of the population consumes them frequently and even daily.
The minister himself has defended that there is “a very broad consensus” on the need to regulate this type of drinks, which have become a threat to the health of young people due to their high content of caffeine and other stimulants.
Fines of up to 3,000 euros for having energy drinks in your backpack
The new rules not only affect sales, but also the way in which businesses must manage these products. In the case of Galicia, where the regulations have already applied since this Saturday, establishments must place energy drinks in separate areas from traditional soft drinks to prevent their impulsive consumption by minors.
The law also establishes a sanctioning regime for those who fail to comply with these restrictions. For example, drinking an energy drink on the street or simply carrying it in your backpack without being of minimum age would be considered a minor infraction with fines ranging from 200 to 3,000 euros.
If the violations are repeated or the sale or supply to minors occurs, the sanctions can be raised to serious violations, with fines that can reach 15,000 euros. This is where the correct application of the rule in establishments comes in, not allowing these drinks to be sold to children under 16 years of age and having to remove them from the same area as the rest of the drinks or soft drinks.
Galicia is the first community to apply the ban
Galicia has become the first autonomous community in Spain to apply the regulations that prohibit the sale of energy drinks to children under 16 years of age and the rest of the related regulations. Since March 7, the law that prohibits the sale of energy drinks and vaping devices to minors has come into force, putting them on the same ground as other prohibitions such as those on alcohol or tobacco, as far as consumption among minors is concerned.
The Galician Government considers that this norm represents “a before and after” in the protection of the health of young people and hopes that it will serve as a reference for other autonomous communities or future state laws.
With this regulation, Spain is moving towards a model similar to that of other European countries that have already decided to limit minors’ access to energy drinks due to their potential impact on health.